[A2k] UK Govt backs DRM

[Michelle Childs]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6381853.stm

Last Updated: Wednesday, 21 February 2007, 10:47 GMT
Government backs digital lockdown

The [UK] government has rejected a call to ban the digital locks that
limit what people can do with the software, music and movies they own.

A petition calling for the ban on the government's e-petition website
gathered more than 1,400 backers.

In its response, the government said these digital locks, known as Digital
Rights Management, helped give users "unprecedented choice".

But it added that DRM must respect the rights and needs of consumers.

Offical review

In early December the anti-DRM e-petition was put on the part of the
Downing Street website set up to let anyone create and gather signatures
on an issue important to them.

It called on the government to ban DRM because it "locks users into using
a particular service" and stopped them exercising their freedom to choose
between competing products.

It acknowledged that there were costs involved in making digital content,
such as downloadable music tracks, but it said this could be done in a way
that gave a purchaser control over what they could do with this media.

The petition was created by Neil Holmes - a UK member of the Defective By
Design anti-DRM campaigning group.

The text of the petition also cited a report from the All Parliamentary
Internet Group, released in December 2006, which said steps had to be
taken to ensure consumers knew what they could and could not do with
digital content they bought.

In its response, the government said it had no plans to ban DRM and said
companies should "be able to continue to protect their content in this
way".

It said DRM acted as a policeman in that it protected digital content,
but, it added, the technology also improved choice and the price consumers
wished to pay.

However, the response noted, care had to be taken to ensure that DRM did
not dent the needs and rights of consumers.

It also mentioned initiatives emerging from other reviews of copyright law
that aimed to make it easier to complain when DRM technology over-stepped
what the law allowed.







--
Michelle Childs -Head of European Affairs
Consumer Project on Technology in London
24, Highbury Crescent, London, N5 1RX,UK.
Tel:+44(0)207 226 6663 ex 252.
Mob:+44(0)790 386 4642. Fax: +44(0)207 354 0607
http://www.cptech.org

Consumer Project on Technology in Washington, DC
1621 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20009 USA .Tel.:
+1.202.332.2670,Fax: +1.202.332.2673

Consumer Project on Technology in Geneva
1 Route des  Morillons, CP 2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 791 6727